Category: Golf

• Doherty removed over incident at tournament

• 22-year-old has subscriber count of nearly 30 million

• Source confirms streamer’s ban from future events

A controversial livestreamer has been barred from attending PGA Tour events indefinitely after being removed from the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a person familiar with the matter told the Guardian, though the tour has declined to publicly confirm any specific disciplinary action.

Security and law enforcement removed Jack Doherty from the tournament grounds on Friday after he appeared to pay a spectator to shout during a player’s pre-shot routine, according to videos circulating online and accounts of the incident.

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• Ranking points to be awarded at LIV events for first time

• Saudi-backed tour attacks ‘unprecedented restriction’

The Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Tour has hit out at what it regards as victimisation from those presiding over the sport’s world rankings process, despite seeing their wait of nearly four years for recognition by the system finally end.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that those competing in LIV tournaments will receive official world golf ranking points but only when finishing in the top 10. A statement from the OWGR board said this “recognises there are a number of areas where LIV Golf does not meet the eligibility standards set out”.

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• Rose wins Farmers Insurance Open with 72-hole record

• Total of 265 pips Woods’s 1999 mark by one

Justin Rose became the first wire-to-wire winner at Torrey Pines in 71 years, starting with a six-shot lead and never letting anyone get any closer to him Sunday as he closed with a two-under 70 to win the Farmers Insurance Open.

Rose opened with a 62 on the North course and never let up, playing even better on the South course that has hosted two US Opens. He broke the 72-hole tournament record at 23-under, 265, one better than Tiger Woods in 1999. George Burns also shot 266 in 1987. “Sorry, T-dub, if you’re watching,” Rose said.

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Despite an estimated outlay of $6bn since 2022, LIV appears to be far away from establishing itself in the the manner of PIF projects in other sports

In one sense, it is difficult to detect anything warm and cuddly in all of this. Elite golfers, who were already obscenely rich, take the bounty on offer from a Saudi Arabian-backed disruption model before shuffling back whence they came – essentially for a trivial penalty – when the novelty wears off. This is hardly sport at its purest. Instead, an admission by Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed that they blundered in believing the fairways were greener on the LIV side. The PGA Tour, desperate to portray itself as the big boy in the playground, welcomes one-time pariahs back with open arms. Other golfers who spurned LIV’s fluttering eyelashes scratch their heads, wondering why they bothered.

There is, however, an underlying and endearing point. All the petroleum pounds in the world are no substitute for legacy. Trying to match the achievements of Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy carries significance. LIV golf has no relevance beyond its own domain. Saudi Arabia has made inroads into various sports but, in golf, the kingdom is unquestionably doomed. LIV is on the road towards oblivion, far earlier than most had anticipated. Only those who will gain financially from its continuation can try to spin an alternative story.

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• American becomes latest major winner to exit

• 2018 Masters champion will be eligible for PGA Tour

Patrick Reed has delivered the latest high-profile blow to LIV Golf by announcing he will leave the circuit before the start of its 2026 season.

The 35-year-old American former Masters champion joins Brooks Koepka by instead focusing on the PGA Tour. Reed will spend his immediate time on the DP World Tour, where he won the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday. Reed tees up in Bahrain from Thursday.

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• Life-size statue disappears in golf legend’s hometown

• ‘Everything indicates that it was a theft,’ says council

Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into the disappearance of a statue commemorating Seve Ballesteros from his hometown of Pedrena, near Santander in northern Spain’s Cantabria region.

The Marina de Cudeyo Town Council confirmed the incident on Sunday through their social media accounts, describing the disappearance as “an unfortunate event” and suggesting foul play. “Everything indicates that it was a theft,” the council stated.

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• Nacho Elvira takes advantage for Dubai Invitational title

• Rory McIlroy finishes in tie for third after final-day drama

Shane Lowry blew a one-shot lead on the last hole as Nacho Elvira recovered to claim victory in a dramatic finish to the Dubai Invitational.

Lowry, who had started the final round in a tie for second, two strokes behind the Spaniard, barged into the lead after a birdie on the 15th and appeared to have the title at his mercy. But the Irishman found both bunker and water on the 18th, finishing with a double bogey that shattered his hopes and allowed Elvira, who had struggled early in the round, to duly par the 18th for victory.

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• PGA offers re-entry to LIV Golf players via new program

• Koepka stands to miss out on at least $50m in equity

Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour just five weeks after bolting from LIV Golf, agreeing to a one-time program for elite players that comes with a financial penalty that could rank among the largest in sports.

Koepka plans to resume his PGA Tour career in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines at the end of the month. But he will not be eligible for PGA Tour equity grants for five years, he will not receive FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026 and he cannot play signature events unless he earns his way in.

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For decades, he existed beyond comparison. As he turns 50, even golf’s most dominant figure confronts the one opponent he could never overpower

Talk to any golfer who played against Tiger Woods and there is sure to be at least one story about one shot so sublime they were certain it could not be hit by them or anyone else.

He was just different. Better.

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Some extraordinary golf was often overshadowed by the Donald, colourful fans, crazy MCs and tempers flaring

I was out by the practice green late afternoon on the Monday of the Ryder Cup, and so was Bryson DeChambeau. He was on his own, signing autographs for the handful of people on the other side of the railings, and there was this one woman leaning over towards him, a bottle blonde, late middle-aged, in a tight white dress. She was only a couple of feet away from him but she was screaming in his ear like she was trying to reach someone across the far side of the golf course. “We love you Bryson! Bryson! We love you! We love you for everything you’ve done for the Donald! We love you for everything you’ve done for the Donald!”

It was a long, strange week, and when I think back on it now the golf is entirely overwhelmed by technicolour memories of the weird scenes around the grounds of Bethpage Black and in the surrounding town of Farmingdale. I wish I could say that the things I remember best are that approach shot Scottie Scheffler hit from 180 yards at the 10th, or the 40ft putt Rory McIlroy made on the 6th, or Jon Rahm’s chip-in from the rough at the 8th. But they’re not.

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It felt like nothing would top Tiger Woods’s Masters win, but then the Northern Irishman completed his career grand slam on an extraordinary final day at Augusta

At 7am on 14 April in an Augusta rental home, Rory McIlroy awoke and immediately spotted a Green Jacket draped over a chair. “You think: ‘Yeah, that did happen yesterday,’” he says. “That.” McIlroy was now the sixth man to win all four of golf’s majors.

The detail of what lay around in the bedroom of my own Augusta billet is of no interest to anybody. That was, however, a memorable morning. I had previously and wrongly believed nothing would top Tiger Woods’s 2019 Masters win in respect of seismic reaction. Scores of messages from friends, colleagues, family members – umpteen of whom have no interest whatsoever in golf – had landed. Broadcast outlets across the world wanted my assessment of what had played out on Masters Sunday. Yeah, that did happen yesterday.

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Five-time major champion looks poised to become a fascinating test case for golf’s future after exiting Saudi-funded breakaway tour

It was portrayed as amicable when it felt so inevitable. News that Brooks Koepka will step away from LIV Golf in 2026 comes as no shock. This never felt a particularly sensible alliance; an individual who craves glory at the top level and a disruption regime that has grasped for relevance with only varying degrees of success.

Koepka has looked unhappy in his professional domain for some time. He has all but admitted he would never have joined LIV but for fears over a potentially career-threatening injury. Golf’s ultimate alpha male was the captain of LIV’s Smash GC team. The whole thing always seemed preposterous.

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• The 35-year-old joined Saudi-funded tour in 2022

• ‘Brooks is prioritising the needs of his family’

Brooks Koepka, the five-time major champion, has become the first player to defect from LIV Golf, a significant blow to the league funded by Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund and raises questions whether the PGA Tour will find a way for him to return.

The 35-year-old American has made the decision in order to spend more time with his family. He joined the rival tour in 2022 and won five events over four seasons – he was also the first LIV player to win a major at the 2023 PGA Championship.

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• McIlroy: ‘Hopefully golf can build upon this’

• ‘To get public’s recognition is really cool,’ says Fleetwood

Moments before Rory McIlroy was named BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year, and the cream of British sport rose to applaud him, a nervy thought raced through his mind. “I was, like, not an F1 driver again … ” he said.

This time, though, there was no late twist. Lando Norris was unable to emulate Lewis Hamilton, who had pipped McIlroy when the Northern Irishman was a warm favourite in 2014. And with Europe’s Ryder Cup winners also being named team of the year, a delighted McIlroy was able to reflect on a blockbuster night for him and his sport.

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